GRE President Agnelo Rodrigues said, “In spite of assurances from the former chief minister and present Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and both members of parliament, the Tourism Department is out to finish the traditional fishermen of Goa by bringing in these anti-fishermen projects. We will not allow the government to go ahead with this project and if required we will start a mass agitation. We will commit mass suicide if required as the project will take away our livelihood.”
Rodrigues added, “Goa has a 105-kilometre-long coast where we carry out fishing activity that provides livelihood to over 80,000 traditional fishermen. The sea plane requires landing space two kilometres long and half kilometre wide and once these planes are operational then the same would take away the livelihood of traditional fishermen. Thus we are objecting to the project,” he said.
Listing out the ill effects of sea plane, GRE Joint Secretary Olencio Simoes said, “Every time the fixed-wing aircraft lands or cruises on the water surface for take-off, it will generate waves that will affect marine life. In the case of an oil leak from these aircrafts, the environmental impact can be disastrous to marine life. Besides that, the flight services will affect thousands of birds, including migratory, that fly into the region every year. Also air, noise and water pollution from these flight services will disrupt the ecosystem and cause damage to the flora and fauna of the state.”
He also mentioned that floating jetties, terminal stations, passenger lounges, frisking areas will be built on the banks of the rivers/sea which will lead to violation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms and create hindrance to traditional fishing activities.
‘Opposition’ Alina at it again
For the sake of tourism we cannot deprive traditional fishermen of their livelihood, Environment Minister Alina Saldanha said on Friday. She was referring to the sea plane that she says will interfere with traditional fishing operations. “We have to first identify areas that are totally free from fishing activity otherwise you cannot start this. I don’t think there is any site in coast of Goa where we don’t have traditional fishermen. You cannot, for the sake of tourism, have an activity that is going to deprive traditional fishermen of their livelihood,” Saldanha said.
